Defy-Danger
If a PC’s action could trigger both Defy Danger and another move (like swinging a hatchet at the drake that’s chewing on their leg), then the other move takes precedence (in this case, Clash).
Don’t call for Defy Danger just because you think “they should have to roll.” If a character does something chancy, but there’s no looming danger or the stakes just aren’t that high, then don’t roll. Just make a call and say what happens, following your principles and agenda.
When you call for Defy Danger, say what the danger and/or the stakes are. “That sounds like Defy Danger, the danger is that it’ll notice before you can stab it.” Or “I think that’s Defy Danger, and on a miss, you’ll freeze up with fear.” If you can’t articulate the danger or the stakes, they’re not Defying Danger.
If it’s unclear which stat they’re using, ask questions until it is. If it could go either way, say what you’re thinking and let the player pick. “That could either be testing your might or enduring, so STR or CON, your choice.”
Don’t suffer nonsense. If you say “an arrow is flying at you, what do you do?” and they reply with something like “I flash a smile at the arrow and charm it into missing me,” they aren’t Defying Danger—they’re taking an arrow in the face. Tell them the consequences and ask if they still want to do that.
On a 10+, they do it as well as one could hope. Describe what happens (or ask them to). Often, you’ll give them an opportunity to act. But if the danger was particularly dire or their action particular desperate (or reckless), then maybe the best one could hope for is simply avoiding the worst of it.
On a 7-9, present a lesser success, cost, or consequence. There should be something obvious, or else they wouldn’t be Defying Danger.
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Lesser success: they get most of what they wanted but not all of it. “You leap across the pit, but end up hanging half- off. It’ll take time to pull yourself up.”
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Cost: they do it, but they lose or suffer something in the process. “You leap across the pit, but land badly and twist your ankle.”
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Consequence: they do it, but with an unwelcome outcome. “You leap across the pit, but the platform crumbles as you jump. No going back that way!”
Consider giving them a choice between two or more lesser successes / costs / consequences, and/or the chance to back down and not do the thing after all. Players often feel better about adversity that they choose than they feel about adversity imposed upon them. Just be sure to make the bad options proportional.
Remember: a 7-9 is still fundamentally a success. Don’t make the lesser success, cost, or consequence so bad that they’d have been better off doing nothing.
On a 6-, though? Go nuts. The danger comes to bear before they can act, or as they act. Or, their action is successful but things get much worse as a result. Do something that flows naturally from the fiction and your prep. Let things burn.
Example
Caradoc is hanging from a tree, his grip slipping. He swings his legs up around the bough, then pulls himself up. “ Yeah, that’s Defying Danger—the danger is that you fall like 80 feet. Sounds like testing your might, so +STR?”
“Sounds right,” he says, and rolls. On a 7-9, I’ll go with a cost and have him mark weakened from fear and fatigue. But, no, he rolls a 10, so I say “Cool, you do it, just like you said.” Then I offer an opportunity. “It takes a moment to catch your breath, but from here it’s an easy climb up to the nest. What do you do?”
Example
Blodwen freezes, hearing the trills of drakes as they encircle her in the grass. She pulls out a clay pot, then tosses it, hoping to distract them.
“Clever! Sounds like Defying Danger with INT.” She rolls a 7 and I give her a choice: “They take the bait, but you’re not free and clear yet. You can either mark off 2 more uses of supplies and huck more stuff past them, to draw them away. Or you can try to slip away now, Defying Danger with DEX. What do you do?”
Example
Rhianna rushes past the crinwin. “I think you’re Defying Danger here, with DEX to rely on speed.” On a 10+ she’ll get past them, no problem, and make it to the mouth of the cave.
But she gets a 9 and I opt for a consequence: “As you rush past them, a couple turn and tackle you.” Rhianna’s player calls shenanigans—a 7-9 should still be fundamentally successful. “Oh, right!” I say. “ You get to the mouth of the cave, but two crinwin are bounding after you, hot on your tail, what do you do?”